Meh. That's how I felt about this book. Personally, I was a little bored reading it. It had too much of a Lifetime/Hallmark movie feel for me. I didn't hate it but I wish there was something more. And some of the scenes just felt too forced. Am I really supposed to believe this big, strong doctor has such a huge fear of spiders it sends him into a panic attack? That scene just blew my mind and made me LOL.

I really enjoyed the narration though. The performances were fantastic. I also really enjoyed hearing some of the facts regarding the vineyard as I am an accountant for a company that owns a vineyard, so I have a tiny bit of knowledge about what it takes to run a vineyard and produce wine.

This book wasn’t my favorite. While I liked the STEM representation and the characters themselves (Rowan and Harry), I found the story to be a bit too sweet and hallmark-movie-like for me. It was well-written, but seemed overdramatic at times. I did enjoy the angst and pining though; the story just didn’t give me all the feels like I was hoping for.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

When Rowan’s doctoral thesis does not get approved, her plan is to spend the next year fixing her dating and resubmitting her work. However, after attending a party at the Brady family vineyard, and being impressed with the farm, Rowan’s best friend encourages her to take a job helping take care of the vines. Unlike Rowan’s family, the Brady’s are a loud, loving and large crew who are all working together to make this dream winery come to life. There, she meets Harry, one of the siblings, who is home taking a break from his life as a doctor in LA. It is instant attraction for both Rowan and Harry and the chemistry is undeniable. Still, Rowan has difficulty with trust and Harry has some own trauma from his past that haunts him. As the two open up to each other, their complicated but beautiful relationship begins to unravel.

What I loved: I enjoyed the small-town vineyard setting and learning about the field of Botany/ makings of a successful winery. The supporting cast- Rowan’s two best friends from college and the entire Brady family- added so much warmth, humor and emotion to the story. I assume some of these characters will be the stars in future books, and I can’t wait. I also loved Rowan and Harry’s witty comebacks and inside jokes. It kept me on my toes! The narration added a lot to the story and was fun!

What’s not making this a 5 star reads for me was that there were a lot of ups and downs, arguments and miscommunications between Rowan and Harry that made it hard for me to fully enjoy the book. While this made the course of the relationship “realistic”, knowing it was not always rainbows and butterflies, I often found that the self-sabotaging behavior went on for too long. At 30+ years old, I think Rowan and Harry could have spoken more rather than have large periods of time where they avoid and ignore one another. The amazing ending did make up for some of these feelings, and helped me understand why the author did what she did, but my heightened angst and anxiety as I read did impact the overall experience.

Read if you like:
-Instant attraction but slow burn romance
-Supportive and big families
-Vineyards/ wineries
-Botany
-A strong cast of side characters
-Anxiety rep
-Dual POVs

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Even better the second time around on audio. I loved the narration by Chris Brinkley and Erin Mallon! The narrators truly brought Rowan and Harry to life for me!

The story takes place over the course of a year on a newly purchased Vineyard. The Bradys are a big, boisterous Italian American clan excited to try a new adventure and middle son Harry, an almost OB, has come home from California to help and heal after a traumatic experience. During a game of family tag he runs into Rowan, a socially anxious botanist trying to finish her PhD who is more comfortable around her plants than people. Together these two build a beautiful friendship but the sparks are undeniable and irresistable!

This book is steamy, has oodles of heart, wonderful found family, strong female friendship, amazing women in STEM and mental health rep and will both make you cry and laugh in equal measure. I could go on and on about how much I absolutely adored this story and each and every one of the characters but you really just need to experience the Bradys for yourself.

Much thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!! Highly recommended for fans of Chloe Liese, Mazey Eddings, Ali Hazelwood and Susannah Nix. I cannot wait to read the next books in the series featuring Rowan's two best friends and the brothers who love them.